As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,962, thermal cutoffs are commonly combined with a resistance heater. In the event of a circuit malfunction, the resistance heater is energized for rapidly raising the thermal cutoff to a temperature at which it operates to provide an open circuit. U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,962 discloses a simplified way of mounting a thermal cutoff and for assembling the same in heat transfer relationship with a resistor. In one arrangement, the thermal cutoff and resistor are held in physical contact one with another by a metal clip. Each of the thermal cutoff and resistor has leads which may be specially shaped to provide a standoff for supporting the assembly above a printed circuit board. A holder of dielectric material is preferably provided for holding the assembled thermal cutoff and resistor. The holder includes a base and a pair of spaced apart supports extending outwardly from one side of the base. The supports have terminal end portions having lead receiving means for receiving and supporting the leads on the thermal cutoff to hold the cutoff suspended between the supports. Holes through the base adjacent the supports receive the leads on the thermal cutoff. Thus, the holder provides a means for holding an assembled thermal cutoff and resistor in a desired relationship with one another.
It would be desirable to have a single molded part that provides ease of assembly of the assembled thermal cutoff and resistor with the molded part being symmetrical such that the same part serves as either the base or the cover.